“I’m going to need a little help from someone I’ve been pretty impressed with,” JC continued, clearing his throat just slightly. “You see, I was first notified of her youtube videos from a couple of friends of hers. Then I couldn’t stop watching. She’s got some real talent, and I think she has a real gift. She really knows how to put her emotions into her songs and connect with her viewers, her listeners, and that’s something beautiful. So, I’d like to ask Elle, or as she likes to be known as, Elle Miranda, up on stage with me.”

“What?” I asked, deadpan.

Feeling a prod in my side, I looked over at Lucas who was angling his head in the direction of the stage. “Go,” he said, prodding her again.

“I…can’t,” I replied, grabbing onto his arm. “That’s JC Chasez. I can’t sing with him.”

“Luce and I wouldn’t have practically bombarded him with youtube links if we didn’t think you could do it,” Lucas said, placing a hand on my shoulder before shoving me forward. I stumbled a few steps before standing in my place.

“Girl, if you don’t get your butt up there.” Lucy hurried to my side, her heels clacking on the floor as she did so. She gave a single tug at the knot of my apron and I felt it loosen around my waist.

“I never agreed to this,” I said as Lucas grasped the neck strap of my apron pulling it up over my head.

“Huh. How ‘bout that,” Lucas said. He gave a bright smile. “Good thing we agreed for you. Right, sis?”

“Right, bro,” Lucy replied with the same amount of pep in her voice. She yanked the elastic band out of my hair and started tossing my hair around my shoulders. “Perfecto.” She kissed her fingertips. “Now, get on stage. Merry Christmas.”

She and Lucas grabbed my arms and practically frog marched me up onto the stage. Not like I have a choice. “W-w-what?” I cleared my throat, taking the microphone that Ethan shoved in between my hands. “What song are we doing?” I glanced over at JC out of the corner of my eyes. He was perched on his stool, looking calm, cool, and collected, a peaceful smile on his face.

“You’ll know,” he replied. “Trust me, sweetheart.”

“I do,” I said, nodding my head repeatedly. Which scares the crap out of me. “Yeah. I do.”

“Good,” JC replied. He glanced back at Jeff and nodded his head. He closed his eyes as Jeff started playing the opening chords to the song. He tapped his hand against his side four times in a steady beat before lifting his head to start to sing. “Guess it’s true that I’m not good at a one night stand. But I still need love 'cause I'm just a man.”

I bowed my head, smiling. He was right, I did know the song. It was one of my most popular youtube videos. “These nights never seem to go to plan. I don't want you to leave, will you hold my hand?” JC looked over at me and I locked eyes with him before lifting my microphone to my lips.

“Oh won’t you,” I sang, starting the verse. My lips pulling back into a smile as his soft timbre mixed with my own. “Stay with me? 'Cause you're all I need. This ain't love, it's clear to see. But darling, stay with me.”

We continued to sing through the next verse. I felt myself relax as we continued through the song. I watched as JC closed his eyes, letting himself out through the song. He truly was a performer. I was so mesmerized by him I was surprised I could even make my way through the song. But, it was so easy. He made it feel like it was easy.  His blue eyes twinkled with enjoyment and from the reflections of the hanging lights.

“This ain't love, it's clear to see. But darling, stay with me.”

JC winked as we held out the last note. I ended early, bowing my head in a blush and JC’s chuckle echoed through the microphone, joining the applause and whistles that hit the air. “Miss Ella Miranda, everybody,” he said, waving his hand towards me.

I lifted my head and shook my hair out of my face, lifting my hand in a brief wave before using it to brush my hair back from my face. I managed to squeak out a “Thank you” into my microphone before getting to my feet, and making my way off stage, shoving it into Ethan’s hands. “Thank you.”

“Great job, E,” Ethan said with a smile, patting me on the back. “It’s a slow night, you, Luke, and Luce can take off early. I can hold down the fort before the night shift comes in.”

“You sure?” I asked, barely listening to what he had said.

“Think of it as my Christmas gift to you all.” He put his hand on my shoulder and I stopped, turning to face him. He was grinning from ear to ear. “You don’t know how hard it was to keep that a secret from you.” I felt my jaw drop slightly as I looked at him, then over at JC who was talking to Jeff, and then over at Lucas and Lucy who stood near the back of the crowd, waiting for me. “Happy holidays.”

“You, too,” I replied. I made a beeline for Lucas and Lucy who instantly enveloped me in a hug. “Oooh, my god, you guys.”

“You were great,” Lucy said as she took a step back, shaking my shoulders. “I mean, except for ditching JC on stage, but you were great.” She then pulled me towards her in another hug with Lucas wrapping his arms around the two of us. “I’m so proud of you, girl.”

“Wait a minute.” I pulled back from her narrowing my eyes into a suspicious look. “That’s why he was seated in my section. You put him there?”

“Uh, duh!” Lucy replied, an eyebrow shooting up, her lips pulling back into a smile.

“And you were harping on him for only ordering a water,” Lucas added with a grin.

“Yeah, well, I wish I had one, too,” I said, lifting my hand to massage my throat.

“Don’t worry about that, you sounded great, Elle,” JC said as he sauntered up behind me, placing his hand on the small of my back, effectively sending every nerve in my body ricocheting off every part of my body.

“E,” I corrected him, lifting my shaky hands and sliding my fingers through my hair. “Everyone calls me E.”

JC made a noise in the back of his throat before muttering something under his breath that sounded a lot like, “That’s fitting.” I shifted my gaze downwards before crossing my arms over my chest. I mean, they weren’t that big…

JC bowed his head, scratching the back of his neck as he cleared his throat. I briefly closed my eyes when it suddenly hit me that he might’ve…most likely…had been referring to the use of initials for our name. Everyone knew that JC’s first name was Joshua, and he only went by “JC” because there was already another Josh on The Mickey Mouse Club.

“Just ignore me,” I managed to get out.

“With your talents, that’d be hard to,” JC commented with a half grin before offering his hand towards Lucas. “Especially with these friends for yours. It’s nice to meet you.” He then offered his hand to Lucy who beamed at him. “And you as well, sweetheart.”

“You, too,” Lucy replied. “I’ve been a fan of yours for a long time.”

“Well, thank you, I appreciate it,” JC said as he slid his hand out from her grasp before placing it over his heart. “I really do.”

This wasn’t happening. JC Chasez was actually talking to not only myself (not that I’m currently saying much) but my friends as if we’ve known each other for the longest time. I’d ask for someone to pinch me but I’d be crushed if this was actually a dream and I was going to wake up at any minute.

“So, if I’m not being too forward, I’d like to get the chance and sit down and talk with you for a little bit,” JC said as he rubbed his hands together, shifting his attention towards me.

“Oh.” I blinked in surprise. “Uh, well we were talking about getting drinks after work.” I then turned towards Lucas and Lucy. “By the way, Ethan’s letting us off early tonight. We can go.”

“Oh, thank god,” Lucas said with a happy sigh, putting a hand over his heart. Lucy was already in the process of ripping her apron off of her body. “There’s a bar not too from here, just a ten minute walk. If you want to come of course.”

“I’d be happy to,” JC said as he lifted a hand to push his glasses up his nose. Man, he looked so cute in those glasses. “Thank you.”

And that was how I found myself sitting across from JC Chasez at a local bar on Christmas Eve.

“Well that went a lot better than I thought it would,” I said, with a short laugh, allowing the breath I was holding out in a rush. I reached for short glass of cognac and swirled the iced beverage around a couple of times before setting it down. “You have a great voice. Really.”

I glanced around the dark room, a little surprised that JC hadn’t basically been bum rushed the minute he got into the building. Whether they had recognized him or not, or if it was just a normal part of life for Californians (which it was in this area) to see celebrities at any store or building I wasn’t complaining. The selfish side of me was happy to have him all to myself.

“Thanks,” JC replied with a brief nod of his head. “So do you.”

I felt my lips pull back into a smile. It had to be the millionth smile I’ve smiled tonight. “I’m sorry,” I said quietly, putting a hand to my burning face. I was blushing a lot, too. “I’ve been staring all night. You’re just nice to look at.” JC’s eyes widened just slightly. “I didn’t mean—well, I did mean—but I didn’t mean—“

“It’s ok,” JC said, lifting his hand into the air. “I accept your compliment.” He paused for a moment, his eyes shifting downwards just slightly before flickering back up to looking her in the eye. He lifted his glass of Sprite to his lips before taking a long sip of it. “You look great.”

“Thank you,” I replied.

“So, I’ve been watching your youtube videos for a little while and I’ve always been curious,” JC said after he swallowed, letting out an “ahhh.” His nose wrinkled slightly as he sniffed. “What got you so interested in music?”

“Ahhh, I’ve just always been interested in it, I guess,” I replied with a shrug of my shoulders. “I was in groups and bands throughout high school and college, but then I had to kind of put it on the back burner for a while. When I started getting some free time, I put videos up on youtube.” I took a sip of my drink, coughing slightly as it burned my throat. “I never really thought that people would watch them. Not that that’s what it’s for, I do it just to, you know, not lose it.”

“No, I know exactly what you mean,” JC replied with a nod of his head. “You can find me singing to myself all the time, or in the shower, in the car. I’ll keep writing, and keep singing just to keep those skills up while I’m working with my girls in Girl Radical or if I’m writing for someone else’s album. “

“Exactly,” I agreed, nodding my head. I lifted my hands, brushing my hair back behind my ears.

There was a reason I liked having my hair in a ponytail all the time. Partially because it was a work requirement it was also because I wouldn’t keep messing with it. I messed with my hair when I was nervous, when I was bored, and when I was frustrated. If I didn’t stop myself, sometimes I’d even catch myself chewing on the ends of my hair if it was in reach.

“I’ve always admired that about your work, you always took a chance with different genres of music,” I said as I planted my hands in my lap, tightly threading my fingers together. “You didn’t just stay in the pop music genre. I think that really helped when you were still in *NSYNC. I think that’s what really allowed fans to respect what it was that you were doing.”

“Ah, so you’re a fan,” JC said with a hint of a smile.

“Actually…I’ve been a fan of yours since Mickey Mouse Club,” I admitted. I put my hands up defensively. “I know it wasn’t for people my age, but…I knew talent when I saw it.”

“I could say the same,” JC replied. “Your friends had been pushing me to see your videos for a while and I like to check out what the fans can do from time to time.” He gave a shrug of his shoulders. “It’s the least I could do. I wouldn’t be here without them. You.”

“You’re welcome.”

“So,” JC said after making a popping sound with his lips. He tilted his head just slightly, his eyes narrowing just slightly. “You’re different on stage. More…comfortable.”

“That’s what singing is for me,” I replied with a shrug. I angled my head towards the empty stage near the front of the bar. “Comfort.” Flashing lights swirled around on the stage, angling my head towards the stage in the corner. “You can put out whatever persona you want and people will take it at face value.” I peered over at him, pressing my lips together just slightly. “Doesn’t let them get too close. You have a life on stage, and your real life off it. But, you know all about that, don’t you?”

JC slowly shook his head back and forth. “You’ve got it wrong, Elle Miranda,” he said, pronouncing each syllable in my name, his eyebrow twitching slightly. “What you put out onstage is what the fans take home. It’s nice to have some separation, but if you’re not your true self, the fans won’t believe your music. Or believe in you.”

“You believed me enough to sing with me, didn’t you?” I asked, giving him a pointed look.

JC’s lips parted into a cute grin before he started to laugh. “Good point,” JC replied, leaning back in his seat just slightly. “Very good point.” He reached for his glass before tapping the bottom edge onto the table. “It’s one thing to trust yourself and your talents, but it’s a whole other thing to trust that your fans will be there to support you no matter which route you take with your music.”

Once again, I found myself falling silent. I had to have looked like a typical fan to him. But, he seemed to get me, to probe my words and seek out the hidden meaning behind them.  I didn’t do this. I tried staying away from situations where I actually had to talk to people. It was easier sitting behind a computer screen.

I’ve barely had any relationships in my life for crying out loud! Ok, I’ve had a couple good ones, but hey didn’t work out. They didn’t believe that music was something I could really go far with.

But, this was different.

“You’re going to have to get out from behind that computer screen at some point,” he spoke up, snapping me out of my thoughts. “You know as well as I do that people get attention and record deals from their youtube videos, now.”

“Like that’ll ever happen,” I muttered.

“Why not?” JC asked with a shrug of his shoulders. “It’s how things work, now.” He pressed his lips together for a moment. “Look, I know things are different than how I had started out but hard work is hard work. And, baby, you clearly work hard with your talent.” I just stared back at him, blinking repeatedly. I felt my face burn, hotter than it had before.

“This coming from the boy who shook his skinny ass day in and day out in front of a live studio audience,” I replied, giving him a sweet, dangerous smile. “I could say the same.”

“Hey, now,” JC said, lifting his hands in the air. His shirt stretched taught over his chest as he did so. “You told me you were a fan.”

“Who said I was complaining?” I asked, hiking a brow before fishing the cherry out of my drink, popping it into my mouth. I slowly chewed, the step gently smacking my lips before I reached up and plucked it out, setting it down onto the table. Whoa. Where is this coming from?

“Oh, I see,” JC answered, his eyebrows twitching just slightly. He cleared his throat just slightly, shifting his gaze around the room. He then grasped his glass, lifting it up in the air. “To you: for getting the courage to step out behind your computer and sing live.”

 “Cheers.” I lifted my glass, tapping the rim of mine against his before tilting my head back, quickly downing the rest of it, the ice sliding to hit my upper lip.

As soon as I set my glass down onto the table, JC leaned forward and pressed his lips against mine. I blinked in surprise, feeling my breath catch in my throat before my eyes slowly fluttered until they shut fully. My fingers found their way into his short hair, tugging at the soft, smooth strands as I slid my lips over his. JC’s fingers left a hot trail along my jaw before they curled underneath my chin. I slowly pulled back breaking the kiss with a small sucking sound before gasping for air.

JC’s hair stuck up at odd angles, face flushed, otherwise looking pleased.

“What was that for?” I asked, blinking my eyes open.

JC rubbed his hands together for a moment, shifting his gaze to the table before looking back up at me. “Let me tell you something,” he said quietly, as if he were choosing his words carefully. “Choosing to be unattached and unavailable in any part of your life isn’t living your life.” He slowly shook his head back and forth. “It’s being scared. And that’s no way to live.”

I gaped at him. “You’ve…you’ve been watching my videos for a while,” I said as more of a statement than a question, tilting my head just slightly.

“Like I said,” JC said, his easy going smile reappearing, closing his eye with a quick wink. “I know talent when I see it. Put that kind of emotion into your songs, and no one would have a reason to doubt what you can do.”

“Yeah, you’d think,” I muttered.

“Forget them,” JC instantly replied.

“You make that pretty easy to do, JC,” I replied, spinning the ice around in my empty glass. I let out a sigh, watching the ice spin before looking over at him. “You barely know me…but you know me.”

“You show yourself through your music, it’s how people get to know you,” JC replied with a shrug of his shoulders. A shy, boyish smile crossed his face as he bowed his head before he looked up at me through his eyelashes. “But, I would like to get to take the time to get to know you better.”

I slowly sucked a deep breath of air through my nose, a denial poised on the tip of my tongue. But, I couldn’t let it out. You didn’t say ‘no’ to a face like that. You didn’t say ‘no’ to eyes like that. Hell, you didn’t say ‘no’ to JC Chasez in general.

God knows I was tired of hearing it.

“No, you shouldn’t pursue your music.”

“No, it’s not going to be something that’ll take you far.”

“No, you’re wasting your time.”

I let out a small laugh. If I was wasting my time, then I sure enjoyed doing so on stage with someone like JC. That was all the support I needed. “Sure,” I replied and JC broke into a wide smile. “I’d like that.”

“Great,” JC said as he got to his feet. “I hate to run, but I’ve got my family waiting.”

A family man. Check. I gave a brief shake of my head. “It’s ok, I understand,” I replied. I reached into my purse for my iPhone and held it up in front of me.

JC gave a charming smile as the camera shuttered. I handed him my phone and he quickly punched in his number before firing himself a text. His phone rang and he pulled it out of his pocket, holding his phone up towards me. I gave a close lipped smile before quickly deciding against it, parting my lips to give a toothy grin.

“That’s beautiful, sweetheart.” JC slipped my phone into my hand before bending to give me a quick kiss. With a whisper of “Merry Christmas” and a final gaze from his piercing blue eyes, he turned and made his way out of the bar.

I lifted my hands to fan my cheeks. I swear, I was going to need a fan or a hose lying around somewhere when I’m around that guy. I made my way over to the table that Lucas and Lucy were sitting at (who smirked at me before tossing their heads back to drink a shot (in celebration of me?)), not remembering anything except for JC and what this new year could bring.

Musically…and romantically.

Cheers to that.